Accessories

It’s November 10 and Google’s Daydream View headset is now available for purchase. I’ve been able to spend most of the past week with one to familiarize myself with the virtual reality headset and take in some content, like games and other experiences. As of today, Daydream View may only work with Pixel and Pixel XL, but it’s off to a great start for the mobile VR category.

As the first wave of rumors arrived for Samsung’s Gear Fit 2, I’ve got to be honest in admitting that I was not at all excited. In fact, I probably winced, shook my head a couple of times, and contemplated schemes that would force Tim to review it. I say that because I had the displeasure of reviewing the first version of the Gear Fit, a fitness wearable that was a terrible fitness tracker with a cool display. But then we had a chance to spend some time with the Gear Fit 2 during a media briefing and I was immediately sold on this latest version for a number of reasons.

Let’s talk about what you get with the Gear Fit 2 and if that initial hype stuck with me through to this review. This is our Gear Fit 2 review. (more…)

I’m guessing that your household is a lot like mine – there are multiple people in it, all of which have smartphones and tablets and other gadgets that need to be charged on a regular basis. With products like the Tronsmart Titan, you get a 5-port hub that can charge them all simultaneously. Not only that, but it can charge many of them quickly, since it has been equipped with Quick Charge 2.0 support in all ports.

The folks at Tronsmart sent us over a Titan to review and so we took them up on it. After all, we feature a number of their products when they see discounts and figured we should probably get even closer to one of their most popular.

It’s 2015 and we are extremely dependent on our mobile devices. There is nothing scarier than your battery dying when you are out traveling or in unfamiliar territory. That is where the numerous battery packs that we have written up in recent months come in handy, like Limefuel’s Blast L180x Pro, which henceforth will be known as the “battery tank.” I’ve spent a lot of time with this battery pack over the past weeks and I finally feel ready to share why it is one of my must-haves for traveling. (more…)

Earlier in the week, Google released an official Snap Case for the Nexus 5 with a whopping $29.99 price tag. As you would imagine, most were immediately turned off by the price even if the case was “designed specifically for the Nexus 5.” With companies like Spigen and Ringke selling similar slim cases for under $10 on Amazon, I can’t say I blame anyone for not wanting to fork out $30.

But as is always the case with official Nexus accessories, we still picked a bunch of them up to let you know if they are worth that extra premium price tag. We grabbed the aqua, black, white, and clear versions, but keep in mind there is a fifth silver case as well. (more…)

As you guys know, I’m kind of into the whole fitness band thing. I’ve talked about my dedication to Nike’s platform, including the Fuelband (which I recently retired). I’ve picked up random Kickstarter items like the Misfit Shine, all because I’m constantly looking for something to help track my fitness goals, which mostly includes speed and distance training with some strength exercises worked in.

When Samsung unveiled the Gear Fit during their Galaxy S5 launch event, I was actually somewhat excited – a fitness band, with a beautiful little AMOLED display, that works on Android, isn’t terrible looking, and doesn’t have single-day battery life. What’s not to like? I picked one up last week when it arrived in stores and have been using it daily ever since. I’ve logged 8 mile runs, shorter sprint workouts, worn it as a smartwatch, and even tried once to get it to track my sleep. In other words, I’ve tried to make this my daily fitness tracker and more, just like Samsung claims it can be.

With that said, I’ve got a ton of thoughts to share. Let’s talk about the Samsung Gear Fit. (more…)

With a stack of smartwatches having sat on the corner of my desk for the last three or four months, it’s finally time that we start running through reviews of them all. The stack is only going to grow over the coming year, so it’s probably best that we give you something to compare the new stuff to. These will be “quick” reviews that cover the basics and also offer my opinions on what I like and don’t like.

First up, is without a doubt my favorite of the moment – the Qualcomm Toq. I know what you are probably thinking, and yes, it’s overpriced, oversized, and was originally supposed to be just an outlet for Qualcomm to show off their Mirasol display. But I’m actually loving it.

Announced during press day at CES in January, the Steel is Pebble’s premium finished smartwatch, targeted at those looking for something a bit classier than the original plastic unit that took the smartwatch world by storm. The functionality here is identical to the original, so the focus then becomes on the materials used, appearance, and whether or not it’s worth the extra $100. (more…)

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